Quilts For Orphans

Calling all tradies ..... we need your help ... and we need it NOW!!

OK peoples .... listen up .... we have incredible need ... and we have it RIGHT NOW!!! As you may, or may not be aware, we have been incredibly blessed to have the services of David Higgins the builder who has DONATED his services to the erection of our workshed. He and his team have worked incredibly hard from first light till dusk to get our shed up and completed. David also does wonderful things with his skills in many other areas connected with COM, Careforce Church and the Careworks Community Support Agency.

These is awesome and a wonderful things for him to do..... but there has been a disappointing occurrence within the last 24 hours which proves that for every wonderful person out there like David ... there is an unscrupulous person who demonstrates behaviour of the lowest type.

I have to tell you that David has had his trailer .... full of tools ... stolen from Gaynor and Regs' home. This theft took place in the early hours of Monday morning... and is a crushing blow ... the trailer (pictured below) was uninsured and the tools need to be replaced as soon as possible.

 

I am asking that each person reading this Blog take a wander out to their toolshed and select something to donate to David ... OR make a cash donation or Bunnings, Mitre10 (or similar) gift voucher available so that this wonderful man may again be able to work. Not only for us ... but for the many other people that have need of his services. Tell your friends ... tell them of the great work that we are doing, work that David was assisting us with ... and how very deserving this man and his team are.

Further words fail me ... but I am hopeful that good will come out of this disappointing turn of events, and that we may have our faith in human nature restored.

In anticipation .... and with hope that this can be fixed....

Susan

Please contact Gaynor on 9756 7950 for details on how you may help David and his team.

Kolkata 'Kwiltpics' ...... wait till you see the smiles on the childrens faces!!

Goodness gracious me ... yet ANOTHER blog entry ... and this one is full of pics courtesy of Rachels brother Chris ... who transported a number of our quilts to Kolkata recently ,with the Planetshakers trip to the FreeToBeKids centre there.

The pictures are just wonderful and show what a wonderful thing we do when we share our fabric 'hugs' with these beautiful children. Just spurs us on to want to make more and more ... so without further ado ... here they are ....!!!

 
This is Chris, with a little girl who wanted him to buy her shoes for school ... though she doesn't go, hard to resist that smile!!

 
One of our quilts .... and its happy recipient ..... isn't she beautiful?

 
...and another happy child,with one of the Planetshakers team that went to Kolkata and delivered our quilts ...

... how pleased are these kids .... ??

..... I think the smiles say it all.... don't you?

 
.... no words needed here ......:)

 
..... nor here ... these quilts couldn't have gone to a better place ... unless it was a COM Home ... or a Chinakidz Hospice. Whichever .... they are appreciated so very much by the children .... 

 
When words fail ... .'raspberries' are universal .... :)

The original 'Happy Dance' ...... aye Carumba!!!!

 
Just some of the children visited by the Planetshakers team ... and to see more of what is done in India by the FreeToBeKids organisation .... please visit ....

www.freetobekids.org/-

And on that note, I'll finish this Post and send it out to cyberspace and your computer. Please enjoy reading, support Quilters for Orphans in any way that you can ... and also the other organisations that I have mentioned. They all do such awesome work for the children who need it the very most ... and little by little we are making a change in so many precious lives.

www.com.org.au for information on supporting the Childrens Homes in India

www.freetobekids.org/- for rescuing children from slavery in India

www.chinakidz.org for assisting with the work in the Butterfly Childrens Hospice in China which helps abandoned and terminally ill babies and children.

Till next Post ... blessings to all, and thanks again to Chris Peterson for allowing me to share these beautiful pictures ...

Susan

 

Our magnificent Mildura visitors ..... who didn't come (or go) empty handed!!!

As promised Folks ... here is the 'add-on' to my Post of earlier in the week, when we had an exciting mid-week indeed.

Not only was I able to capture photos of our long awaited workbarn construction (detailed in my previous Post), but I was also on hand to meet Lyn from Mildura. Lyn, as I have mentioned in previous Blog posts, has been an absolute treasure as she has willingly (and magnificently) quilted for us on her amazing machine. She has put time, heart, imagination and love into every quilt top that has been presented to her for finishing ... and I am thrilled to be able to show you some of the handiwork that she brought with her when she, and husband Peter, came up to meet Gaynor and Reg earlier in the week.

 
Here we have Gaynor, Peter, Lyn and Reg .... 

Our Mildura visitors drove especially to visit and deliver the most recent batch of quilts that Lyn so kindly finished off for us.

 
If you look closely you will see that Lyn has quilted this with a pattern of dogs and scenery ... she goes out of her way to select a quilting pattern that reflects the fabrics used in the quilt tops we give her ... 

... as in this pattern of a cockatoo on the plain triangles, which matches the print in this quilt top ....

This piece was quilted in a kangaroo and emu pattern ....

  

My picture doesn't do this quilt justice I'm afraid ... but I can assure you that the finished article is just beautiful.

 

How brilliant is this quilt top? I absolutely LOVE the Scottie Dog blocks assembled in this quilt ...

More magic from Lyns marvellous machine ....  how clever she is!!! This handiwork makes the finished quilt a work of art on BOTH sides ... and is just stunning! This is a close up of the horse patterned quilt featured later ... which will be available at the Tulip Festival on RSPCA Day. 

 
Another brilliant example of a lovely quilt top ... made even more special by the brilliant quilting job done on it by Lyn ..

 But as they say "wait, there's more..' and below we show what I meant by the title of this Post. We didn't let Lyn go back to Mildura empty handed. As we have our special week coming up at the Tulip Festival in September, and particularly the RSPCA Day being held at the Festival... we selected an array of quilt tops with animal fabric in them, for Lyn to quilt for us in time for sale on the day.

Joy, Gaynor and I had a great time selecting appropriate quilt tops for finishing off by Lyn, and I am giving you a preview below .... and you know that all funds generated by sales at the Tulip festival will be used to purchase batting/threads and other supplies needed for our childrens quilts.

    This is the quilt completed by Lyn with a quilting pattern of horses ... matching the fabric panels used. It would make a wonderful addition to a horse fans bedroom!

And a Teddy quilt for an 'Arctophile' ... that's another term for bear fanatic :) The centre bear is appliqued and matches the bears printed onto the fabric in the corner blocks.

This fabric ticks ALL the animal boxes ... an absolute zoo is printed on this fabric, just stunning!!

 
Not just 101 dalmations ... but a host of other breeds as well on this quilt top!

  A a mass of moggies adorn this quilt .... sure to enchant a cat lover when it is on display at the Tulip Festivals' RSPCA Day ....

 
Now as well as quilts for sale at the Festival ... Gaynor has also kept herself busy creating, among other things, some animal themed cushions ... aren't they lovely?

And Tulip appliqued wall plaques ..... these would look stunning on display in the right setting ... and even as I type this, Gaynor is creating more  in a variety of fabrics ....

 
  And what better way to carry your purchases home from the Tulip Festival ... than in one of our handmade bags?

Now .... back to Lyn ... as well as quilting our tops ... she has also been a creative genius with our suede fabric. She has quilted some stunning vest patterns .... which we will be making up as shown below. These will be available for sale ... and on order .... from Gaynor. They are absolutely unique, beautifully made ... and will make a real fashion statement this winter ... and for many winters to come!

 
Deep blue suede ... with a beautiful feather design quilted on both front panels ....and on the back .... isn't it superb?

 
.. another pattern .... most intricate ... And on the back .... the pattern is repeated ... my camera doesn't do it justice I'm afraid ...

 
Below is Little Bo Peep. This will be made into a wall hanging by Gaynor and would make a real statement in a nursery or playroom.

....isn't Lyns machine fantastic??? Little Bo Peep is quilted on suede .... and surrounded by her lost sheep.

 
.... and here we have her sheep .... is there NOTHING that Lyns machine cannot stitch? 

Actually Lyn was like a kid in a candy store when she came visiting last Wednesday ... she could not believe the amount of wonderful fabric we had available ... and took a lovely selection home to quilt up for us. Cannot wait to see what it looks like when we see it next!!! 

And that just about wraps up this Blog entry ... have more pictures of the quilt tops we are sending back to Mildura with Lyn ... but you will have to visit the Tulip Festival between September 21st and October 3rd to see them in all their completed beauty .... in the meantime you can see the stack of finished quilts which we will have available for sale, pictured below ... and that will have to taunt you till you come see them for yourselves :)

Now don't forget that you can contact us with offers of fabric, thread, batting ... or willingness to participate in our quilting group by either emailing or phoning us at:

Rachel Breukel [email protected] or phone 0400 587 087

Susan Hamilton [email protected]  or phone 9737 1825

Gaynor Peterson P.O Box 170 Monbulk 3793 or phone 9756 7950

Our next get-together will be on July 10th ..... Lunch Theme is 'Christmas in July' ... and we will have plenty more photos of our special 'work in progress' ... our amazing and wondrous workshed.

I will also look forward to sharing with you ... prior to that ... pictures of the quilts that recently went to Kolkata to the FreeToBeKids ... transported there by Gaynors son Chris and his team from Planetshakers.

Until then ... blessings to all ... and an abundance of thanks to all who are doing so very much for us ... in so very many ways....

Susan

Never thought we'd see the day ......... our workshed is here ...... at last!!!

OK Folks ... this is another 'grab a cup of coffee and settle down' Post ... do I have news (and pictures) for you!!! After an eternity, or so it seemed, we have FINALLY taken delivery of our long awaited quilting workshed.

 This happened on the weekend, and was the culmination of THE most stressful period in our 'Quilts for Orphans' groups life. Scrimping, saving and fundraising for over a year to be able to purchase a workbarn  .... only to have our hearts broken by utterly unscrupulous,dishonest and deceitful rogues. Saved by an anonymous benefactor who facilitated funding for the resumption of the shed manufacture ... and now our shed has been delivered and it is being erected this week. We are still finding it hard to believe our wait is over for the dedicated workspace in which to create our quilts for the children in India and the babies in China. And we will soon be able to give Gaynor and Reg back their home, which they had unselfishly turned over for the production of our fabric 'hugs' for so very long.

So, without further blathering, I will now upload the photos and share with you our joy ...

 
The truck arrives ......

... a parking spot is found ....

Reg and Gaynor, with Warren Morris of Fielders .... the suppliers of the shed framework and cladding. Warren had followed our progress with trying to obtain the shed from the original provider, and was keen to be a part of seeing the final delivery through. We cannot thank him enough for his patience and understanding in this whole matter ... and really appreciate the fact that he came out personally on delivery day.

"Steady as she goes .... "

 
Nearly all done ......

 Getting bogged was NOT part of the planned scenario for delivery day ... but it wasn't for long ...

....and soon the truck was farewelled and the 'shedbits' were all laid out, awaiting the builder ...

 
.... who arrived ... ready, willing ... and more than able ..... we cannot thank Brett and David enough for giving their services to this project ... you fellows are awesome in every sense of the word!!!

.... and by the next day was measuring up & starting to get the pieces all put together ....

 And by mid-week it now looks like this .... thankfully the weather has been kind to us ....

 
Every building site has a Foreman ...and ours is no exception ... "You missed a bit guys!!" ...

.... time for a break .... and a chit-chat over a hearty bowl of homemade soup .... and Joys' sausage rolls.

... before they were back to work ... soon all the fabric on the verandah will have a new home in our shed!

"Yaaaay ... we have our shed ... how good is THAT!!" ..... Rachel is pretty chuffed.....

.... and so is Charlotte .....

... and together Rachel AND Reg look ever so slightly pleased ... don't you think?

Soon the mezzanine floor will be put into place .... and then we will be ready for the cladding and roof. Rest assured I will be adding further updates to the shed building as it happens.

And now it is Saturday again ... and I will add a few more pictures to show the further progress in our sheds creation. I dropped over today (June 26th) and was more than a little pleased to see some cladding added and the preparation being started for the concrete slab to be poured. This will happen on Monday, so I'm informed .... and after that, things will gradually keep happening until it's all done and dusted ... can't wait!!!

 
 
  
 
 But for now ... I will put this edition of the Blog to bed ... we had more excitement today whilst I was at Gaynors, a pair of wonderful visitors from Mildura came .. and I have a gazillion more pictures concerning that to upload. But it's getting late ... and I am struggling to put fingers to keyboard ... so it will have to wait till tomorrow. And ... that will give you ANOTHER excuse to make a coffee and pull up a seat at your 'puter and be entertained by my ramblings ...

In the meantime, one more picture ... just to remind you what this whole business is all about ... the children in the COM Homes in India, the Chinakidz Hospice in China and the FreetobeKids organisation in Kolkata.

 
And our project to provide each and every child with a quilt, a fabric 'hug' from us to them, a tangible reminder that they are indeed worthy and loved so very much.

So ...till tomorrow ... blessings to all who continue to support us ... whether it be by donations of fabric, thread, money with which to purchase supplies, words of encouragement ... every bit of support reinforces our desire to make a difference ... and to stitch our hearts out for the children half a world away.

Susan

News from China ... our quilts were most welcome ... and we have pics to prove it!!

Late breaking News!! Remember our get together after Christmas, when we had our 'Cot Quilt Challenge' ?

We had the task of making small cot quilts for the Chinakidz Hospice .... and I have just received a forwarded email from one of our quilters, Isobel, with pictures and a warm Thank You from Alan and Lyn of Chinakidz Hospice ... have copied their message below and will add the photos for you to see.

Had quite a lump in my throat as I saw the pictures of the tiniest baby, Peter ... and all the quilts that we recently made and sent ... this is what our efforts are all about Folks .... you see the results below ...

" Dear Isobel & Fi
  What can we say, thanks a million times over we have used one on little Peter
as you can see he is a very tiny baby weight of just about 1KG, so small we
look at him and have a "hot cot" now he has a wonderful quilt as well. All the
items will bring a blessing to the babies and the staff here cannot believe
that you made then sent them to us. Thanks we will send more pictures after
our winter as summer is here now.
  Much love and thanks, anytime you want a visit or information or a story just
ask.
  Thanks 100000000000000000x100000000 Alan & Lyn"

 
  

 
  How very awesome and humbling is that ... have you ever seen such a tiny baby .... and doesn't it make you want to start making another quilt RIGHT NOW?? These children, and their carers, are just so very appreciative of all that we have been able to send them ... and we will continue helping. Thanks for sharing this with us Isobel ...

Will be Blogging more over the next few days .... just waiting on some exciting pictures to share with you of something that we have been waiting an ABSOLUTE age for ... curious? Well you'll just have to wait :)

Till then ... blessings from Susan, and thanks from Chinakidz!!

  http://www.chinakidz.org/

  

I nostri giugno quilting bee ...... didn't know I was bi-lingual, did you?

 There you go ... bet the title of this months Blog got you scratching your heads Folks!!! It translates as 'Our June Quilting bee' ... and as the lunch theme yesterday was Italian, I thought I'd start off in the right spirit!!!

Now back to English .... and what a wonderful day we had at Gaynors ... the house was absolutely BURSTING at the seams ... could not have swung a cat without knocking a quilter sideways! Present were (and I sincerely hope I don't leave anyone out....!) Wally, Win, Janagi, Margaret, Karen, Penney, Annette, Christine, Yvonne, Amber, Kay, Fran, Rachel, Gaynor, Alice, Joy and her friend Robyn, Betty, Tracy, Lois, Emily, Wilma .... and yours truly ... extremely cramped, but a heap of fun nontheless!

Just a small section of the ladies attending yesterday .... almost standing room only!!! I am hopeful of being able to astonish you all in my NEXT Blog with news (and pictures) of our long awaited new workspace. This has been a real process of immense patience and faith testing, disappointment ... and ultimate answer to prayers ... as we dealt with many issues which now look to have been resolved to a degree. More about that later ....

Firstly though ... the part of our Blog where we thank our kind quilters who stitch their hearts out, offsite, on our behalf.... like Judy Whitmore who sent us these beautiful quilts and the accompanying note ... your quilts are just gorgeous Judy, and there will most certainly be some extremely appreciative children snuggling beneath them in India in the not too distant future!

It appears I got caught up in the whirl of activity yesterday, and omitted to take further pictures of your quilts Judy, for which I sincerely apologise .... I am not usually so disorganised (well, I don't THINK I am ... though I am NOT daring to ask for a vote on that issue!).

I must also thank Randy Burkholder who sent us a donation all the way from America ... to honour his mother Lois for Mothers day, she is an avid quilter apparently, and Randy and I have corresponded over the last month or so, organising a way in which he could make a donation on her behalf. Here is his reply to my latest email.... when I told him that Gaynor had received his gift ...

"Thank you.  I'm so glad to hear that you received the donations!  My mom's
name is Lois and she loved the idea.  I thank you for your part in making
her mother's day special and I wish your organization best of luck : ).

Thank you and best wishes!

Randy"

So ... isn't that wonderful ... the fact that people on the other side of the globe are so very willing to be a part of our ministry. Thank you again Randy ... and blessings to Lois, your contribution in her name will go toward a fabric 'hug' that will reach from America to India .... via Monbulk Australia. Awesome stuff!!!

 We must also thank Betty, who joined us and brought some of her quilt tops too ... we are truly blessed by the absolute willingness to help that is out there ... we cannot thank you enough!!

 
Karen and daughter Aleisha are recent recruits to quilting and I am sharing with you Aleishas' very first quilt top ... and Karens' latest effort ... there is no keeping Karen away from stitching now, she has really 'caught the bug' and we couldn't be happier!!

Lovely use of colour Aleisha ... and perfectly matched corners ... I see a great future for you in our circle of quilters!

And ditto for Karen .... the mauves and greens are a pretty combination and this will quilt beautifully!

Alice joined us yesterday ... and she has indeed been pretty busy too ... she is the absolute queen of creating from 'found' items ... with the ability to transform pillowcases and fabric panels into quilt tops that is unmatched!!

 
 

Margaret had not been 'letting the grass grow' under her sewing machine either  ... and she came with her own stitching efforts which were equally well received by us ....

 
Aren't the colours beautiful? And Christine .... below .... also shared her handiwork with us .... these quilts will look beautiful wrapped around a young child in our COM Homes in India won't they?

 

Kay had been busy too ... with one of her signature quilts that featured a black 'frame' around the blocks .... always very effective .... and another lovely russet/peach quilt top that had an interesting placement of the 'blocks'.

 

And Lois put her applique skills to good use with this stunner pictured below ... and I will tell you something extra about our Lois .... and what became of one of her other quilts recently!!

As I may have mentioned in my last Blog, we had an afternoon tea 'Thank You' at The Chapel Restaurant in Lilydale on May 23rd for the people associated with our Christian Outreach Ministry ... of which Quilters for Orphans are a part. Somehow, a couple of our quilts were there ... and toward the end of the afternoon, interest was shown in them. A lady offered to buy one ... and it was suggested that we hold an impromptu auction for the quilt in question. Before we knew it ... the quilt had been 'knocked down' to the bidder for .... wait for it ... $210 ... and that quilt was one which our Lois had created. Pretty awesome effort ... and more funds in our 'kitty' for supplies for more quilts. A win-win situation for all concerned I think you will agree!!

  

We had a short break for lunch ... as I mentioned at the start of this Blog, the theme was Italian ... .and it was 'Bellisimo' ... lasagne and other pasta dishes featured heavily, and disappeared very quickly indeed!

 

We also had a display of Tupperware featured at the Quilting bee yesterday ... with a VERY kind gesture of a donation to our cause for parties booked and sales on the day ... courtesy of Penneys daughter .... thank you so very much ...

Another feature of the day was a table absolutely covered in pre-cut squares .... I believe karen and Gaynor had been incredibly busy doing this ... and we look forward to seeing what wonderful quilts are returned to us when all the fabric has been loving pieced together ...

 
Margaret couldn't wait to get creative with this lot!! We see below some that she had 'prepared earlier!!'

 

 I will now ask our readers of this Blog to get out their pens and calendars and make a note of an upcoming event which QFO is fortunate enough to be invited to participate in. As you may or may not know, each year Tesselaars Tulip Farm up in Silvan holds a month long Tulip Festival. It is pretty famous ... and always extremely well patronised. Quilters for Orphans has been invited to have a marquee there, showcasing our handicrafts.The sale of these items will raise funds for our Mission ... which I am sure you all know is to provide a quilt for each and every child living in the Childrens Homes in India created and supported by our Christian Outreach Ministry. So please spread the word ... and make sure that if you attend, that you do so on either Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th of September, Friday the 1st, Saturday the 2nd or Sunday the 3rd of October when our QFO volunteers will be more than happy to show you our stitcheries and help you select something delightful for yourself or your home.

Late breaking news flash: Gaynor has just informed me that we have been invited to also participate at the Tulip Festival on Tuesday September 21st ... which will be part of their RSPCA Day. So many opportunities being given to us to showcase our efforts for the children in India .... how blessed are we, and thank you to the Tesselaar family for this invitation.

And of course we STILL have our stunning wedding/debutante gowns available for sale. All brand new ... all beautiful ... and all yours for a greatly reduced price ... proceeds going directly back into sourcing supplies for our quilts. 

 
This is in addition to the furnishing fabric which we still have an awesome amount of for sale ... mock suedes in a myriad of colours ...would make great beanbag seats ... perfect for snuggling in front of a roaring fire over winter.... can't you just picture it?  A sample of the colours is shown below.....

 

 And we also have available for sale some quilts ... we allocate a certain number for sale, in order to raise funds for the batting/wadding which goes into the 'middle' of each quilt that we send to India. It's the most expensive component of our quilts ... hence the need to raise funding to purchase it ...

 

Gaynor has just given us the 'heads up' for a further need which perhaps some of our Blog readers may be able to help with. The organisation FreeToBeKids, in Kolkata, which I have mentioned in a previous Blog, has need of sewing machines in working order. They needed 8 machines, we have been able to provide them with three ... which if you do the math, means that they still need five machines. These machines are to be used to teach the girls in the Home to remake old saris into useable items as part of the skill building to create an independent future for them. These machines will be sent over in a container in the hopefully not too distant future. The Link to FreeToBeKids is noted below:

http://freetobekids.org/

Now we also must direct you to our chinakidz efforts and the Link to the site for this wonderful ministry in China, which provides palliative care for seriously, often terminally, ill babies and young children in China. We have been providing fabric hugs and clothing for these wee mites ... and the latest news on their website will show you some of the things which we recently were able to send to them, as well as the thanks with which these items were received. A portion of the 'Thankyou email' is reproduced below ... I think it gives an indication of just how appreciated our efforts for these babies are ...

"The parcels arrived on Saturday and we unpacked in tears - so touched by the care
taken in the packing and when I saw the embroidered sheets I was finished as it just
said so much about how people feel these babies are worth so much. The quilts are
wonderful of course and we'll send pix and an article on the website ASAP."

http://www.chinakidz.org/

 

And of course do not forget what can be done for children and villages in India thru COM ... contact Jill Malcolm on 9760 8040 for details on what can be purchased to make a real difference in the lives of people half a world away. Medical kits, mattresses, school supplies, chickens ... the list is as long as the proverbial piece of string ... with something to suit each budget, from $10 upwards. You can even arrange tp sponsor a child .... how awesome rewarding would that be!!! Check the website below to see what COM is doing for people on the other side of the world.

www.com.org.au/

Honestly ... there are SO many ways in which we can do an immense amount for someone we may never meet, but who will be forever changed by our kindness. Why would you not want to be a part of this ... we may only be here for three score year and ten ... but there is no end to what can be done in that time, the effects of which can reach so very much further than you or I could ever imagine.

And on that note ... on behalf of our Gaynor and our quilters I will thank the person .... who has insisted on anonymity ...  and who has provided the funds needed to re-start our much needed workshed. This unexpected act of kindness has restored our faith in human nature, which has been sorely tested over the last six months, as we battled to secure the delivery of the barn we had scrimped and saved for and which looked to be lost to us for the forseeable future.

Whilst I am not at liberty to detail all that we have been put through in our attempts to resolve our issues with the original supplier, we have been told that delivery will now take place next week ... and I will most certainly be putting photos up as soon as it arrives.  

In the meantime, blessings to you all ... remember we are always happy to receive offers of help, whether by donations of cash, fabric, threads, batting ... or sewing ... our quilt tops measure either 60" x 44" ... or 54" x 54" ..... and you can contact us by phone or email by  looking directly below at:

Rachel Breukel: [email protected]  or 9767 7375

Gaynor Peterson: 9756 7950

Susan Hamilton: [email protected] or 9737 1825

Our next Working Bee will be on July 10th .... the lunch theme will be 'Christmas in July ... and with a bit of luck we will be installed in our new workspace ... an wonderful early Christmas gift indeed!!!!

Susan